In normal times our Content Exec Eloise could be found hanging off mountains and and chasing sunsets, and she loves nothing better than the small pleasures of a well earned drink whilst taking in a glorious view in the wilderness.

With plenty of us getting out and enjoying green spaces more than ever before and socialising with other households looking to remain restricted to outdoors for a big part of this year, she’s pulled together her top tips to enjoy an outdoors gin o’clock tipple without sacrificing on comfort or taste - whether you’re far away from civilisation or enjoying a socially distanced post-lockdown drink in your garden!

Disclaimer: Please follow the current government COVID guidelines in your area for socialising and outdoor activities, and respect the Leave No Trace Countryside Code

Gentlemens Hardware Hip Flask
£9, House of Fraser

No adventure kit should be without a hipflask: fill it with your favourite gin and savour each sip of your favourite spirit whilst you take in the Great Outdoors, or use it to decant your larger bottles of spirits for cocktails on the go. Sweeter “old tom” gins come into their own here when you want a quick warming swig on a freezing walk or around a fire.

Solar Powered Lightbulb String Light
£19.99, Ethical Superstore

Candles - whilst a romantic notion - usually won’t stand up against even a gentle outdoor wind, and no one wants to sit in the dark, blinking against the glaring light of their phone torch. Good for the environment AND cute to boot, these solar powered string lights will cast a warming glow through the winter night as you string them up in your garden or around the edge of a blanket.

Cashmere Fingerless Gloves
£26, Turtle Doves

The big challenge when outside in the winter months is staying comfortably warm, and your extremities are always the first to go. These recycled cashmere fingerless gloves or wrist warmers work by keeping the pulse points in your wrist warm and they’re a great choice when you want the flexibility to navigate gin glasses, bottle tops or (the all important!) snacks without freezing your hands each time you remove your gloves.

Ceramic Travel Coffee Cup
£16.50, Oliver Bonas

Your thermal travel coffee cup comes into it’s own here: enjoy Sunday afternoon walks in the park with an amaretto Irish coffee or a nutella gin hot chocolate, or warm your fingers around the fire in the evenings with mulled sloe gin and gin hot toddys.

After more cocktail recipe inspiration?
Try our delicious hot gin cocktails to get you through winter

Outdoor Beanbag
£46.99, Beanbag Bazaar

Maybe you have a shared outdoor space, maybe you want some extra seating on hand that can be easily stored and moved around per social distance guidelines, maybe you just want to feel like a kid again as you sink into the delicious depths of this outdoor beanbag.

Lambswool Oversized Scarf
£45, The Tartan Blanket Co

The bigger the better is our motto for knitwear, and this beautiful wool scarf from the Tartan Blanket Co is a comforting classic find that ticks all the boxes - we adore the range of colours and shades of tartan available to suit any style. Upgrade to their blanket scarf size for even more winter warmth.

Mason Jar Shaker
£20, NotOnTheHighStreet

Any mason jar will do the job here but we particularly love this one for it’s built-in strainer. The screw-top makes it far easier to use than a Boston shaker with gloves on and it’s large 500ml size means you can make cocktails for your whole group in one go. To save time, either measure out your batch cocktail ready to add ice, or keep separate servings in old jars ready to mix.

Want easy, low fuss cocktails without compromising on taste? Our new large cocktail syrup bottles will have you making bar-worthy cocktails in three easy steps! Check them out on our online shop

Image source: Chillys

Food Pots
From £22, Chillys

You might be scratching your head a little at this one but hear us out! Not only are vacuum-walled thermal pots the best way to store more than one serving of your favourite warm cocktails to share - ideal if you want to keep down the foot traffic to indoors - they can also be used to keep heat out, meaning you have your very own ice bucket for those all important crisp, cold G&T’s!

Stainless Steel Mini Bottle Opener
£9.29, Amazon

This is an obvious but important one. Just put it on your keys and thank us later. We recommend gin mixers in cans for their lightness, durability and ease of opening, but you never know when you’re going to end up in a tight spot with a bottle of tonic! You need never go through the pain again of holding that bottle with no way to get inside.

Kelty Insulated Blanket
£20, WildBounds

Layers are important here, especially if you don’t have a fire-pit to cosy up to. Down and cotton might seem luxurious and tempting but will quickly chill once the temperature falls and damp begins to collect so go for a quick-drying synthetic material. Ensure it’s big enough to burrito yourself in where necessary!

Dried Apple & Cinnamon Garnish
£3, Craft Gin Club

You can prepare fresh garnishes ahead of time in Tupperware pots, but for total ease and connivence we think you can’t go wrong with a dried garnish for your gin and tonic! These small sachets are easy to pop in your bag and grab for that oh-so-important finishing touch to your Craft Gin.

Camping Fire Pit
£69.99, NotOnTheHighStreet

It’s cold, you want to stay warm - even the cavemen knew the answer to this one! Is there anything that beats the sound of logs crackling as a fire warms your cheeks from the evening chill? One of the most important tenets of being outdoors is the Leave No Trace motto, and as having open fires are a hotly debated topic amongst the outdoor community we think a camping fire pit makes sense in its total versatility, allowing you to just as easily pitch up on your patio or the beach whilst leaving no unsightly black marks behind.

4 Lustre Picnic Tumblers
£15, M&S

Plastic picnic tumblers are lightweight, stack down well and are smash resistant for windy evenings, clumsy hands or throwing in your bag. These lustre tumblers have an added sparkle for a little bit of luxury.

Looking for more gin glasses? Shop our roundup of the Prettiest Gin Glasses!

Marshmallow S'mores Toasting Kit
£18, Etsy

Who says not having a fire-pit has to keep you from the ultimate campfire treat? If you take marshmallow roasting as seriously as we do then these are a must! Pop one of your perfectly toasted marshmallows on top of a S’mores Martini for an ultra-decadent touch.

Railroad Steel Lantern
£80, Barebones Living

Feel like a Victorian explorer, holding a lantern to guide you through the night! This beautiful retro lantern is “a robust piece of kit with a classic stylish look for the home, and the ability to travel on adventures with you when called upon.” It’s also USB charged, meaning you can charge it through your car lighter port or keep it going on a power bank if it runs down.